Timeless and universally adored, Nat King Cole would have celebrated his 100th birthday on March 17th, 2019. The sophisticated pianist and silky crooner was immensely popular with mainstream audiences in the forties and fifties, while still fascinating genuine jazz fans with his innate class. In the land of royalty, the King (Cole) had earned his place alongside the Duke (Ellington) and the Count (Basie).

The Dark Side of the Moon: An Astronomical Success

Pink Floyd's ground-breaking album The Dark Side of the Moon was the result of a long creative process that began around 1968. A Saucerful of Secrets (the main track from the eponymous album) was, for Nick Mason at least, where it all began. Their next album Ummagumma (1969) gave each band member the opportunity to create a solo piece, though they would have to combine their talents if they wanted to hit the jackpot. Pink Floyd continued to search for the perfect record with Meddle, an album which highlighted their skills in the studio, and Atom Heart Mother, before they reached nirvana with The Dark Side of the Moon. And the album’s perfection hasn’t faded one bit, even forty-five years after its release.

Jim Hall, Heartstrings

Jim Hall was a true aesthete of the jazz guitar and played with the likes of Sonny Rollins and Bill Evans, but the American virtuoso was far from flamboyant. He was a humble artist with just the six strings of his guitar as his medium.